


The Second Best Date (So Far)

by sugarcomatosed



Category: Persona 3, Persona Series
Genre: Affectionate Bickering, Akihiko doesn't know they're on a date, Canon Compliant, Dialogue Heavy, F/M, Fluff, Heart-to-Heart, Indirect Kiss, Pre-Relationship, Some Plot talk but not really that much
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-18
Updated: 2018-12-18
Packaged: 2019-09-21 17:51:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,043
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17047811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sugarcomatosed/pseuds/sugarcomatosed
Summary: It's the usual Sunday routine at the usual Sunday place, but somehow things are different and Akihiko doesn't really know how or if it's a bad thing. In Kotone's opinion, it's a good thing.





	The Second Best Date (So Far)

“But this girl,” Akihiko explained as they both worked on their dinner, “She won’t leave me alone and keeps pestering me.”

Kotone laughed. “How’s that different from any other girl?”

He was out to an early dinner/late lunch with Kotone on a Sunday afternoon in September. It’d become something of a regular occurrence between Akihiko and his junior. 

“Why don’t you tell her you have a girlfriend?” Kotone asked between mouthfuls of noodles. 

Akihiko snorted at the idea. “I don’t even know what I’d do with a girlfriend.” He popped a piece of beef in his mouth. “Besides, it’s not like I have time for one anyway.”

Kotone rolled her eyes. She methodically swirled her noodles before taking a bite. “Do you know how many girls on campus want to be your girlfriend?”

Akhiko paused. “…I don’t think I want to know.” He mumbled. 

“At least if you tell her that you have one, she’ll get off your back about it.” Kotone said as if it was a well-documented fact that once people had significant others prospective admirers just stopped.

“What have you been telling people you have a boyfriend to avoid dealing with admirers?” Akihiko chuckled. 

Kotone wrinkled her nose. “No, because half of campus thinks I’m dating Junpei.” 

Including him at one point. He decided not to comment on that. 

“And what about the other half?” Akihiko asked. Kotone thought. 

“…Apparently crushing on me if my luck is anything to go by.” She sighed dramatically.

“You know Hidetoshi-kun, from the student council?” She said to help jog his memory. His expression must have given away he didn’t know who she was talking about.

“Well, the other day he told me that he had feelings for me.” Kotone fiddled with her food. “He didn’t ask me to reply but still I was so surprised. And Ken-kun, Ken-kun started asking me if I had a boyfriend, and so now I’m worrying about that.”

“Hidetoshi did what?” Akihiko asked flatly. Kotone flushed. 

“I’m not saying it again! I was so embarrassed and Yuka-chan and Jun-kun teased me about it for days and now I’m worried that my friends all have crushes on me.” She crossed her arms. 

“Turning down a stranger is easy enough but I’d feel awful rejecting someone I really cared about! “

Akihiko was still trying to wrap his mind around the obnoxious kid on the student council have feelings for anyone, let alone Kotone.

“Oh but you know, when Ken-kun was asking me, you know what he said?”

Kotone was bouncing back. “He asked me if I’d prefer someone like you.”  
She had a mischievous grin. “Even Ken-kun knows about your ability to bring girls to their knees.”

He ignored that comment. “So was the answer “yes”?” Akihiko expected her to laugh it off and say no loudly. 

“Wouldn’t you like to know, Senpai.” Kotone replied with a smile as sweet as any other. She was avoiding the question. He’d seen her pull this on people before and it felt…odd to have it used on him.

“Besides, I thought we were talking about your girl trouble, not my boy trouble.” She continued brightly. She took a loud slurp of noodles.

“The fake girlfriend idea is tempting.” Akihiko said, allowing her to change the subject. “But it’ll probably back fire on me. I don’t even know what a date is like.”

“You could ask Jun-kun. He and Chidori-san are kind of dating and they used to sit by the train station all the time before….we…uh…Is Chidroi-san okay?” Kotone looked worried. 

Akihiko searched for a reply. “She’s fine when Iori comes by and now that we’ve got her medication back on track. She still won’t talk about Strega, but she’s okay herself.”

Kotone let out a breath Akihiko didn’t know she was holding.

“Jun-kun loves going to seeing her. Maybe if she cooperates…you could let her go out again? It’s just…a thought but it’d make them both happy.” 

Akihiko shrugged. “That’s not my call Shiomi.” 

She sighed. “I know, but Jun-kun really loves Chirdori-san.” Kotone seemed to have lost her appetite. She fiddled with her leftover food.

“And maybe then he could teach you what a date is.” She mumbled. 

“…I heard that.”

“You were supposed to.” Kotone informed him. There was a long pause.

“You really don’t know what a date is like?” She peered at him through her eyelashes.

Akihiko focused on finishing off his food so she wouldn’t notice his embarrassment. “Do you?” He asked.

“Yup.” 

Well that was unhelpful. 

He drummed his fingers on the counter. She hadn’t finished up yet. He didn’t know what to say next. Kotone was quiet, which either meant she was upset or about to cook up some trouble.

“I could tell you.” She said thoughtfully. “…What a date is like.” She clarified.

“…thanks.” He mumbled. Here he was, her senior yet he felt much more like her junior in this conversation. 

Kotone twiddled with her headphones as she collected her thoughts. 

“Some dates are quiet, like you sit together in silence and just enjoy being around each other. Chidori-san seems to like that kind of date, she’s always drawing and looking at Jun-kun. But Jun-kun is the kind of person who if he had the option he’d want to do something big, like take her out to a fancy dinner and pay for it. But I’m sure he’s would do whatever she wanted in the end.” 

Kotone leaned forward, smiling. It was sweet how thinking about their happiness seemed to bring her some as well. 

“But there’s a lot of different kinds. Going out to dinner or to the movies is something couples do a lot.” Kotone peered at him with a gentle smile. “Just spending time together can qualify as a date I think.” 

“That sounds like something just friends do though, right? Akihiko frowned. 

Kotone laughed. “Well, you should be friends with the person you’re dating, right?”

“…friends huh.” Akihiko considered this. Most of the girls, including the one who was pressing him about his relationship status he saw as an annoyance, they certainly were not his friends. 

Mitsuru was his friend…Fuuka and Yukari....something like friends. Comrades he supposed and that left Kotone. 

“The best date I’ve been on…it was the summer.” She said suddenly. Akihiko suddenly felt a sour feeling in his stomach. Maybe his dinner wasn’t agreeing with him.

Kotone was blushing. “He asked me suddenly and I wore a yukata because I wanted him to see me in one. We won a little doll from one of the stalls and…it was nice.” Kotone twiddled her fingers. “And we got to ride home together on the train after the fireworks…” 

It escaped him from time to time but…Kotone really was adorable. It figured lots of her classmates had crushes on her. When did she go on that date though? It had to have been before she moved to Port Island…but she’d told him she hadn’t gone to a summer festival in ages when they’d gone together this summer. Who was it she’d gone on a date with?

“Anyway!” She cleared her throat, jarring them both back to reality. “I think if you at least try and fake it for a bit, she’ll lay off you. If she asks about your girlfriend…” Kotone shrugged. “You’re done for there.” She picked up her chopsticks and finally started eating again. 

“If she presses me to prove it, maybe I’ll have you play that part for me.”

Kotone coughed on her noodles.

“What you wouldn’t?” Akihiko laughed. “Do you already have a boyfriend and you didn’t tell me?” He frowned. 

“No way!” She flailed her hands. “When would I have time to do that without someone noticing?” 

“You apparently have enough time to go on dates though,” Akihiko teased with a friendly grin. “And be in six clubs and work part time.” 

, “…and fight shadows and lead our field operations. “ He added in a low voice. “So you tell me.” 

Kotone rolled her eyes. “That,” She announced. “is different. Are you finished? I’m good to go now.” 

“You didn’t finish it all.” He chided. “What happened to your healthy appetite?” 

“Maybe I was saving room for sweets on the way home.” Kotone grumbled. She seemed frustrated suddenly. 

“Who said I was buying you sweets too?” Akihiko pulled out his wallet. 

Kotone’s cheeks went red. “I can pay for my own dinner, Senpai, really.” She started digging for her own wallet. He ignored her and took care of the bill before she had found it. 

“You always pay.” Kotone whined. “I want to help out too it’s not fair.”

“It’s my treat to my kohai.” He waved her off. “Don’t worry about it. And if you want a crepe I’ll buy you one on the way home- but only if you agree to be my stand in when that girl starts asking me about my supposed girlfriend.” 

She was awfully red in this face, was she angry?

“I’m kidding!” He soothed. She looked awfully upset with him. “Come on, let’s get home. I’ll buy you one anyway.”

“No!” Kotone huffed. “I refuse your very kind offer.” 

They stopped anyway.

The stand was rather crowded with folks, despite the new September chill in the air. He looked around bemusedly, noting some of the patrons were clearly couples.

Kotone insisted on paying and kept knocking his wallet out of his hand when he tried to. 

Akihiko stared down at the crepe she’d handed him. “…Sorry if I made you uncomfortable.”

“It’s fine, Senpai.” Kotone was busy unwrapping her own. “I’m not mad.” She assured him. She popped the crepe in her mouth and started chewing away.

They walked side by side. A soft silence remaining as he tried to figure out what to say.

“….thanks for the crepe.” Akihiko said flatly. 

Kotone smiled. “See how nice it is to let someone else pay!” She elbowed him playfully. “You should rely on other people more.” She told him.

“So should you.” He replied dryly as he took a bite. It was vanilla. Not a bad choice, still a little sweeter than he was used to but that was okay. He peered over at her crepe. 

“What kind did you get?”

“Strawberry!” She chirped. Of course. It was pink. It was her favorite color. 

“Can I try?” Akihiko asked curiously. 

“Huh?”

“Can I try yours?” He repeated for clarification. 

Kotone took a step back. “You have one!” She held it protectively. 

“But yours is a different flavor!” He protested. “I’m just curious is all. One bite-“  
“No way,” Kotone’s cheeks were red from the cold. “I got you one already and you won’t even like this one.”

“…how about a trade?” He offered, trying to appeal to her sweet tooth. “A bite for a bite.” Akihiko offered her the crepe. 

That did the trick and she reluctantly swapped with him. 

Akihiko took one bite and recoiled. “It’s even sweeter!” He handed it back to her. She took a huge bite of his, probably to spite him, probably also because the sweetness meant nothing to her.

“I told you, you wouldn’t like it, I’m the real victor here.” She told him as she waved both crepes proudly. Akihiko recovered his treat and chuckled. 

Kotone brushed her fingers against her lips, presumably removing some crumbs. She was smiling. Akihiko rolled his eyes.

“If we’re going to eat all this, maybe we should run back to the dorm then.” He suggested. Kotone took one look at him. “Don’t you dare.” 

She glared into her crepe. “I’ll never forgive you for the last time we went running, my legs were like jelly during the next Tennis Club meeting. “ She took a rather grumpy bite. 

“Aha, that means you need to run more.” Akihiko teased. “We should hurry home though, it’s no good if we’re out too late and break curfew.” 

Annoying as it was, the rules were there for a reason. A Tartarus trip was unlikely tonight but shadows were only so predictable. All members of SEES at least had to check in by dusk. 

Kotone looked a bit disappointed. 

“Well, we’ve got some time to look around don’t you think? And it’s kind of a shame to go back. The fall colors are just hitting and it’s kind of pretty, right?” 

The leaves were starting to turn, and she was right it did look nice…. and he did kind of want to spend more time out with her. 

“Please?” 

“…It’s only going to work just once on me.”

“That’s okay! I’ll get you to agree with me some other way next time, Senpai!” 

They poked around in the stores. Kotone pointed out a bookshop to him that was closed (“The old couple that owns it is really nice, Senpai.”), and they listened to the trains rumble by. They had finally finished up their crepes by the time the train had arrived from the Island. 

“I think that’s the train we fought the full moon shadow on.” Kotone remarked. She stood on her tiptoes to peak at it. “Remember?”

“Misturu had grounded me, remember?” Akihiko reminded her. It was still a sore spot with him. She nodded.

“I couldn’t forget that night If I tried. That was my first real mission as leader. I got so nerved up I thought I was going to cry.” She laughed a little.

“You seemed completely fine to me.” 

“You try rushing up the train cars after Junpei, knowing you’re hurtling towards certain doom.” Kotone remarked dryly. “I was trying to my best to act brave.” She admitted. 

Akihiko nodded but paused. “Hey uh…” 

She turned to look at him. “Senpai?”

He found he couldn’t look down at her. Akihiko stared at the train rushing by instead. 

“…You don’t have to act brave around me, okay? If you’re…I don’t know, scared or something…that’s okay.” He mumbled. “You can tell me. I’m your senpai, you can depend on me.” 

The train was still rumbling past and Akhiko didn’t dare look at her. 

Shiomi was tough. She kept a cool head under pressure normally and worked hard. Too hard. She didn’t like to rely on others, she was the one people went to and the one people relied on. She couldn’t do it forever.

She leaned her head onto his shoulder for a moment. He could feel the hairs on the back of his neck standing up.

“I know.” Kotone replied quietly. “Just having you around helps me feel braver,” She kept her head there for a moment longer, until the train passed.

“…other people give me courage, you know? I always act brave for myself, but when I know someone’s relying on me, I just am brave. That’s what being a leader is about.” She declared firmly. Whatever moment they were sharing was over with the train’s passing. 

Akihiko smiled. “Makes sense to me. Come on, we’re going to be late.”

Before they knew it, they were home again. He was a bit sad. It’d been nice spending the afternoon with her. They stood in the lobby now. 

Kotone beamed. “Thanks for taking me out today senpai.” She pulled on her jacket sleeves. “I always have fun when we go somewhere, you know? “

“We’ll do it again soon then.” Akihiko replied

Kotone grinned. “Definitely! But right now I’ve got to do the rest of my homework….” She thought for a moment. 

“…and make sure Jun-kun’s finished his. Later, Senpai.” She waved and bounced up the stairs. Her ponytail was swaying the entire way up.

She rounded the corner and suddenly he could hear Junpei cursing.

“That’s due tomorrow?” Junpei screeched. “Koto-chan please please please help me-“

Figures.

Akihiko took off his jacket and tossed it on the back of a chair. Shinji came out of the kitchen, Koromaru trotting happily by his side. Must have been dinnertime for Koromaru too then.

Shinji nodded at him. “Yo. How’d your date go?” He asked.

“…You mean dinner with Shiomi?” Akihiko frowned. 

Shinji rolled his eyes. “Yeah, dumbass. Your date.” He emphasized the word.

“…It wasn’t a date?” Akhiko tilted his head in confusion. 

“…Are you telling me or asking me?” Shinji snorted. “Because taking a gal out to dinner and paying for her food typically counts as a date to most folks. You guys took the long way to the dorm too right?”

“…was it a date?” Akihiko’s was sounding increasingly distressed. Shinji smacked himself in the forehead.

“Aki you’re a fucking idiot. You know that?” 

Akihiko turned towards the staircase Kotone had just bounded up. “But, Shiomi and I we…we do stuff like that not all the time but, like, often enough-“

Shinji pinched the bridge of his nose. “You’re telling me, you take her out…and buy her dinner a lot.”

“…Should I not?” Akihiko asked meekly. 

“Aki come on you can’t be that stupid.” Shinji groaned. “You are that stupid aren’t you.”

“….Does…does going to a festival together count as a date?” Akihiko sat down. His throat suddenly felt dry. 

Kotone’s favorite date….it had been with someone who’d asked her unexpectedly, she’d worn a yukata and they’d rode the train home together.

She’d looked so pretty and he hadn’t been expecting her to come all done up. It’d been hard to look at her. 

“Shinji I think I’ve been going on dates with Shiomi since like July at least and didn’t know.” Akihiko leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling. 

Shinji sank to the seat next to him.

“You are unfucking believable.” 

Akihiko sat up suddenly. “She said that was the best date she’d ever gone on.” He found himself grinning like an idiot. “Shinji!” He punched the air excitedly and he laughed. 

Which was weird because he didn’t even like Kotone like that. At least, he was pretty sure.

Shinji just groaned into his hands.

Upstairs, there was another conversation occurring.

“You went out to dinner, he asked you to be his fake girlfriend AND you had an indirect kiss?” Junpei was flopped on Kotone’s floor as they worked on their homework. 

“Daaaaaaamn girl you don’t play.” Junpei laughed. Kotone only grinned in response.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time posting public fic in a looooong time but I figured if I'm going to have an account here I should at least post something and this was the most recent and decent thing I've written in a long while. 
> 
> I've been playing P3P on and off since May and FEMC's quest for a boyfriend has been a long standing joke that I've documented in my live blogging. This all spun out of an optional dialogue bit on a Sunday date where you can suggest he fake having a girlfriend to get rid of an admirer and he responds like he does in the fic! 
> 
> I thought it was a super fun and cute scene and I have no self control when it comes to self indulgent fics so this suddenly took on a life of it's own. 
> 
> In game it happened to me after October 3rd but well, I thought the ending would be much funnier with Shinji still around. 
> 
> Fun Fact: This fic was originally written using Minako as the name, has AkiHam in the actual word file and now has ended up using Kotone as the published name. Girl's gotta lotta names.


End file.
